Sunset in Santa Fe

I have to say that sunsets in Santa Fe are spectacular nearly every evening. The sky turns to a beautiful display of clouds and light and the mountains are shaded with splashes of color. Recently I was out when the snow had fallen and the clouds were hanging over head. The sun came down and shone through the cloudy cover long enough for me to catch these shots.


Come and see me sometime we'll go and catch a sunset of our own!
Love

sense of what's to come

shadows beckon
i refuse
the heart is what matters
darkness ensues

soft golden rapture
amidst new found grace
nothing else matters
if i arrive at this place

when feelings downtrodden
are all that remain
self inflicted madness
beckons again

decide i now
that i will have won
as the battle rages underneath
a sense of what's to come

a deal was made
through all the grief
i will let nothing shake
this new found peace

cars

I have recently begun to really get into the idea of having a vintage muscle car. Although I understand the fuel efficiency issue and the pollution problem, I still wish for a '67 Camaro or a '59 Corvette convertible. I would really like to get the car as a body only and rebuild the engine to work with today's environmental issues as well as make the inside just to my liking. Some big tires and sweet racing stripes will just make the package complete. Here's to dreaming and getting busy towards this new goal!

GoodSearch.com

Well...as a fairly new blogger and being only somewhat computer savvy, I have not yet figured the way to create links within my blog yet. I am getting there swiftly. Oooo look I got it!
I just found out about a great new search engine powered by yahoo.
GoodSearch donates half of its annual advertising revenues to a charity. As you search, you generate about a penny a search to a charity of your choosing. On a search to search basis it seems like just change, but when you add up all the searching and surfing we do...it can really make for a nice donation!
Heifer International, a great charitable organization donating livestock to communities in need all over the world, earned quite a little cash cow in the short time this engine has been up and running. All it took was 65 supporters conducting 5 searches a day. Not baaad
Check it out and consider switching over. You can help these wonderful organizations simply by doing what you normally do. Pretty great really!
Thanks to Body and Soul Magazine for the article and thanks to you for checking it out!
Love to all
Have a marvelous day!

Great Friends in Denver

The weekend before Halloween seemed like the perfect time to drive to Denver and visit some great friends of mine that have recently purchased a home together and gotten married! I had yet to see there humble abode and I was eager to spend some quality time catching up. We ate well and talked much, relaxing all the while in good spirits. In great Halloween cheer we dressed up and went to see a great Vaudeville show and concert featuring the Yard Dogs Road Show and Devotchka. Both were new to me and I found the experience fun and musically adventurous. Before leaving I helped Susannah plant some bulbs, got a huge blister on my hand, and snapped some photos of Suz and Max playing in the fallen leaves. What fun! Thanks for having me to your house and being such good friends. It was great! See you next time.

Yogi Tea

I have grown to LOVE Yogi Tea over the years. They have so many varieties to suit almost anyone's health and tea enjoying needs. You can help your mood, heal your cold, cleanse your system, and just enjoy good quality teas.
They have redesigned the box recently which is a little bit disappointing because of the soulful art that adorned the previous packaging and yet I have found that the beautiful pattern on the inside of the cardboard would make for a great craft project material.
The greatest part of Yogi Tea is the fact that included on every tea bag tag is a simple message of love and inspiration. Wisdom from your tea bag. Got to love that!

Pagosa, Treasure Falls, and Abiquiu

I recently took a small road trip to southern Colorado with a great friend of mine Todd. We drove up Saturday morning to the town of Pagosa. Both Todd and I are very active and decided that the best thing to do would be a hike. We were dressed very warmly as the temperature was quite chilly and the wind was biting where there was little tree cover. We were blessed to have the sun glowing brightly on us, at least for the most part, which helped.


This is the hike in the rocky mountains in Colorado near Wolf Creek Ski resort. It was a beautiful and gratifying view!!!


We were also at a place called Treasure Falls which is really a little roadside spot with some running water and a trail which seemed to be closed. We took the chance to snap some photos and while we were standing there, a beautiful bird graced us with its presence. Nature is good!

Earlier in the day for lunch, in Pagosa, we ate at a small restaurant and sat outside soaking in the sunshine. Later in the evening, after a very nice dinner at the Alley House, we soaked in the hot springs for which Pagosa is famous. The whole town has a bit of the sulfur smell going on, but it is quaint and inviting regardless. The Springs backed right up to the river and had many different pools at varying temperatures with hot spots where the springs were bubbling in. Very relaxing!


On the way back to Santa Fe, we stopped at one of my favorite spots! Todd had never been to the little blessed oasis in Abiquiu that I visit often and seen the spectacular views. It was a great day to experience this particular spot as it was bright and clear. We drove part way up the long dirt road and hiked to the base of one of the sandstone walls. It really is so beautiful and peaceful.



Driving further up the road, you come to a small bunch of brilliant yellow trees and a place to get close to the Rio Chama which runs through the area. We enjoyed getting the opportunity to see the trees turned yellow all along our drive and this chance to get close.

It was a fun and rejuvenating trip all in all. I am thankful to have gotten the chance to spend time with Todd as he is moving in a matter of days to Washington, D.C. for a new job. I am excited for him and his opportunity. I wish him the very best and I will miss him. Perhaps I can take a trip to see him next time I visit my family in NJ!
Thanks for the great weekend!
Pagosa Springs is just another one of the reasons why a visit to the southwest can be wonderful.

Aspens

One of my favorite times of the year is fall because of the changing colors. Although there is not much to change color in Santa Fe, there are some absolutely lovely Aspens in the mountains amidst the green and brown landscape. When this time of the year rolls around, they glow a brilliant yellow and sparkle in the sunlight. The air is crisp and fresh and the smell of the fallen leaves is invigorating.
Come and visit sometime.

There was a blessed and beautiful baby girl born into my family just yesterday. Her name is Lucy Renee and I cannot wait to see her and her parents soon!

Back in NJ

I was recently back in NJ for family affairs and took some beautiful photos of the flora around Dad and Diane's home. Lush and green and humid...so much unlike Santa Fe.


I was blessed to see many family members, some I have not seen in ages which was incredible. I even met a cousin I have not met before and he is now eight. I am so glad to know him!




I also spent some time down on the boardwalk one evening. The kids went on rides and so did some of the adults! It was fun. At the arcade, we played some Skee Ball and such, which I love, and won a couple of black panthers and tickets towards prizes. I have never seen so many tickets won amongst a little group, but we definately accumulated a bunch.



Although the timing was not for the most happy of occasions, there was something beautiful about getting closer to my family whatever the circumstance. I reflect and realize there was happiness in those days and my fondest thought was that Teri's send off was filled with love and appreciation which is the most wonderful gift we can all have hoped to give her.

Today is grandma's birthday. I sent her wishes of love and affection. I know that her presence is energy and so are my thoughts. She received them well I am certain. I miss her greatly as I know we all do. What a remarkable lady and beginning of the beautiful family I was able to embrace again. Every lesson, every memory, I am so very lucky to have had her in my life. I am so lucky for all of you.
Love